ABOUT US

In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, a Scoutmaster with Boy Scouts of America and a Navy Officer with access to combat engineers called Navy CB’s, was looking at what projects the two groups could do together. Enter the Willis B. Boyer Museum Ship, Toledo, Ohio. This opened a wonderful opportunity for the Navy and the Boy Scouts too perform service projects for the City of Toledo. The Boy Scouts were able to spend the night on the ship for thanks for cleaning the ship. The combat engineers were upgrading the galley and areas of the engineering sections of the ship.

During this time several Scouting Units were visiting the Scout Reservation called Philmont. While on the way there, the Scoutmaster and others ventured to the Koshare Indian Museum in LaHunta, Colorado, which was created by the Boy Scouts in the 1940’s. Scouting Units traveling across the country could spend the night at the museum, sleeping on the floor in the Kieva, which was a ritual hall where Scouts from the museum would perform ceremonies from the Koshare Indians.

This idea was explored in detail by Troop 103 from Maumee, Ohio and how they could replicate this on the Willis B. Boyer Ship. The concept was not well received, so the Scouts and the Navy were dismissed from the ship. However, this would not deter the Scouts and the Naval Engineers from developing a museum, as seen in La Junta, Colorado. With the help of philanthropists in the Toledo area, a site was chosen outside of the Harbor View Yacht Club. Dr. Gary L. Cashin visited the Koshare Indian Museum and knew what the Scout Leaders and Naval personnel were planning. One day he would let the group know that he had just purchased the new location for them to continue their plans. He said, “I’ve just bought the Baptist Church outside of the Yacht Club.” Now the work began.

With some help from the Land Bank Program directed by Mr. Wade Kapszukiewicz, and the Combat Engineers from the Navy, the project began to take shape.

The Boy Scouts started helping to create different areas of interest in the Museum, including an Eagle Project called the neighborhood library. The Scouts enjoyed sleep overs while performing service projects in the Harbor View neighborhood.

Soon the Museum began to take shape with the addition of artifacts on display. Visitors from all over the country, as well as Canada, visited the Museum. We curiously wondered how these visitors heard about our little Museum? Apparently, Maumee Bay State Park and Visitor Center was advertising us to their patrons. This explained why visitors from the East Coast, Florida, California, and Canada were visiting the Harbor View Historical Society Museum. In addition, the City of Oregon viewed the Museum as a community center, hosting events for the Harbor View neighborhood and surrounding shoreline on Maumee Bay. With State of Ohio funding, the City of Oregon was able to install new sidewalks allowing children to walk safely to the Museum for the many events and to receive help with their homework. Visitors of the Harbor View Yacht Club now had another reason to travel to Oregon by boat and see the many events displayed at the Historical Society. Some of the events included the following:

The Civil War Re-enactment Group, 1862 Live

Halloween Night at the Museum

Christmas Holiday Open House

1812 Fort Meigs Re-enactment Group

With the great support and financial help from our sponsors, the adventure is just beginning. Planning has pushed the project 20 years into the future.
We are frequently asked, “When are you going to get finished?” Our answer is always,

“We are just getting started. “